Hong Kong police arrest man for decade-long fake billionaire scam

A 45-year-old man has been arrested in Hong Kong for a long-running fraud scheme involving impersonating a wealthy businessman. The suspect, identified by the surname Lam, allegedly used a “low-tech” approach to deceive over 10 victims, swindling approximately HK$1 million over a period of more than a decade.

According to reports, the suspect would frequent five-star hotel restaurants dressed in luxury brands to establish a persona of success, claiming to be a chairman of a listed company or a business owner. He often targeted individuals through acquaintance networks, sometimes offering lucrative job offers such as a personal assistant role with a high monthly salary and unlimited leave. Once a meal was served, the suspect would claim to have lost his wallet or require urgent funds, prompting victims to pay the bill or lend him money.

Victims reported that while the suspect would initially promise to repay the funds, he would frequently make excuses or disappear entirely. Following investigations, police arrested the local man at the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge on October 1. The case is being handled as an offense of using deception to evade legal liability.